The role and relevance of Social Fund Community-Driven Development (SF/CDD) has been highly debated in the international development community. Some conceive these programs only as parallel and temporary arrangements that can ensure short-term delivery of development benefits. Others emphasize...

This study brief on "Social Assistance Programs and Household Welfare in Eswatini" examines the performance of Eswatini's main social assistance programs. These programs employ varying combinations of categorical and self-targeting to reach the poor and vulnerable

The efficiency and effectiveness of generalized subsidies as part of a safety net system are questionable. This is because generalized subsidies tend to create distortions in the food and fuel markets and are likely to be regressive and to suffer from significant leakage of benefits to the...

Belarus has a large and extensive social protection system (SP) covering a significant share of the population. Belarus has adopted a single methodology for calculating income to target Public Targeted Social Assistance (GASP). This methodology also is used when testing an applicant's...

The gains from the transition in post-communist Russia were captured by the new managerial class, which won rents from the state in the form of privatized enterprises, state subsidies, credits, and opportunities for tax evasion. Those rents reduced state revenues that could have supported social...